Yanfang Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Department:
Pharmacology & Toxicology-SOM
Title:
Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Neurology and Internal Medicine
Address:
Health Sciences Bldg 210, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, OH 45435-0001

Research Interests

Integrative and Translational Research: stroke; hypertension; diabetic complications; cancer

Approaches: Contemporary techniques cutting-edge methodologies are used for my studies at molecular, cellular and in vivo levels, such as telemetric cardiovascular monitoring, behavior analysis, brain microinjection, cell transplantation, real-time RT-PCR, gene transfection, RNA interference (RNAi), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), ELISA, western blot, etc.

Summary of My Research Emphasis

  1. Study of the role of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in cardiovascular disease. We are currently focusing on the two counteracting RAS signaling pathways (Ang II/AT1 and Ang1-7/Mas). Gene modified mice models (transgenic or gene deletion) are used for the studies. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is conducted for introducing focal ischemic stroke on animals. The long-term objective is to understand the roles of different RAS pathways in regulating endothelial progenitors (EPCs), endothelial cell (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), neuronal and glial function. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) and bone marrow(BM) mechanisms are also explored.
  2. Study of extracellular microvesicles (MVs) and Exosomes in four major areas: 1) release, isolation, purification and detection; 2)  contents, modulation and function; 3) biomarkers; 4) targets for therapeutics. Accumulating evidence indicate that extracellular MVs and exosomes could be biomarkers and therapeutic targets of various diseases. The long-term objective in my laboratory is to understand the roles and mechanisms of extracellular MVs and exosomes mediated cell-cell communication in physiology and pathologies.

Education History

M.D.   Nanhua University Medical College

Ph.D.  Beijing University Medical Center

Postdoctoral  Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

Publications

Peer Reviewed Articles (selected publications, * Corresponding author)

1.  Shaojun Liu, Jing Chen, Jian Shi, Wenyi Zhou, Li Wang, Weilun Fang, Yun Zhong, Xiaohui Chen, Yanfang Chen, Abdelkarim Sabri & Shiming Liu. M1-like macrophage-derived exosomes suppress angiogenesis and exacerbate cardiac dysfunction in a myocardial infarction microenvironment. Basic Research in Cardiology. 2020 Feb 28;115(2):22.

2. Wang J, Liu H, Chen S, Zhang W, Chen Y, Yang Y. Moderate exercise has beneficial effects on mouse ischemic stroke by enhancing the functions of circulating endothelial progenitor cell-derived exosomes. Exp Neurol. 2020 Apr 20;330:113325.

3. Zhang H, Pan Q, Xie Z, Chen Y, Wang J, Bihl J, Zhong W, Chen Y, Zhao B, Ma X. Implication of MicroRNA503 in Brain Endothelial Cell Function and Ischemic Stroke. Transl Stroke Res. 2020 Apr 14.

4. Langni Liu, Katherine E. Fahy, Azeezat A. Awoyemi, Pariksha Thapa, Lisa E. Kelly, Jay Chen, Ji C. Bihl, David R. Cool, Yanfang Chen, Christine M. Rapp,R. Michael Johnson, and Jeffrey B. Travers Thermal Burn Injury Generates Bioactive Microvesicles:Evidence for a Novel Transport Mechanism for the Lipid Mediator Platelet-Activating Factor That Involves Subcellular Particles and the Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor. The Journal of Immunology 2020 Jul 1;205(1):193-201

5. Pan Q, Ma C, Wang Y, Wang J, Zheng J, Du D, Liao X, Chen Y, Chen Y, Bihl J, Chen C, Yang Y, Ma X. Microvesicles-mediated communication between endothelial cells modulates, endothelial survival, and angiogenic function via transferring of miR-125a-5p. J Cell Biochem. 2019 Mar;120(3):3160-3172.

6. Gaohua Li, Hua Liu, Chunlian Ma, Yanfang Chen, Jinju Wang, Yi Yang. Exosomes Are the Novel Players Involved in the Beneficial Effects of Exercise on Type 2 Diabetes. J Cell Physiol. 2019 Feb 12. 

7. Cheng Zhang, Jinju Wang, Xiaotang Ma, Wenjun Wang, Bin Zhao, Yanfang Chen, Can Chen, Ji C Bihl. ACE2-EPC-EXs Protect Ageing ECs Against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced Injury Through the miR-18a/Nox2/ROS Pathway. J Cell Mol Med. 2018 Mar;22(3):1873-1882. 

8. Anita Thyagarajan , Sayali M Kadam , Langni Liu , Lisa E Kelly, Christine M Rapp, Yanfang Chen , Ravi P Sahu. Gemcitabine Induces Microvesicle Particle Release in a Platelet-Activating Factor-Receptor-Dependent Manner via Modulation of the MAPK Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Dec 21;20(1):32.

9. Qian Cheng, Xin Li, Jingru Liu, Qinmao Ye, Yanfang Chen, Sanqin Tan, Jing Liu. Multiple Myeloma-Derived Exosomes Regulate the Functions of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Partially via Modulating miR-21 and miR-146a. Stem Cells Int. 2017;2017:9012152. 

10. Fahy K, Liu L, Rapp CM, Borchers C, Bihl JC, Chen Y, Simman R, Travers JB. UVB-generated Microvesicle Particles: A Novel Pathway by Which a Skin-specific Stimulus Could Exert Systemic Effects. Photochem Photobiol. 2017 Jul;93(4):937-942.

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